Judgement
by EternalDreamLand
Summary: Love is supposed to be pure, innocent, and true. Ours started out this way, but somewhere along the way, we became overwhelmed by our own greed and ultimately we betrayed ourselves and each other.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Forsaken Storm**

Dark droplets of rain fell from the heavens above, leaving darkened spots on the earth and the cloaks of the weary travelers. As if on call, a cold breeze of wind rushed by, forcing the duet to draw in their cloaks even closer, attempting to conserve whatever heat they had left. A pair of sapphire eyes scanned the sky.

"Funny thing," he noted almost comically, "it was sunny only a minute ago."

The high priest looked crest fallen, "it does that a lot whenever we decide to go anywhere."

His lord knight companion grinned, "Maybe you should have picked a better day to come out to Glast Heim, or asked God for better weather."

He shook his head with a melancholy smile forming on his lips. "You know I had no choice. The letter Ciara sent me said it was urgent. Plus," he added on a side note, "You didn't have to come with me."

"You know I didn't like the sound of that letter anymore than you did. It's out of character for her to ask for help." He paused momentarily, as he turned to gaze at the faint outline of the Glast Heim Churchyard, barely visible in the forsaken weather. "To tell you the truth, it scares me to find out what could possible be bad enough to get the head priestess of the Prontera Church to call on the individual guilds for help."

"Then why did you come?" The brown haired man arched his brow in question.

"Since when have I ever been known to back out of a challenge?" He grinned, almost forcefully.

"That's not the truth though, is it?" Torias spent more than enough time wriggling the truth out of his guild mates. He is more than capable of telling when he was being lied to.

The Knight rubbed the back of his head in defeat. "I should've known better than to lie to you." His face grew stern, "look, I know you are one of the best priests in Midgard, but in the end you're only a priest. Your spells and blessings can only go so far. Sometimes there's a need for brute strength. I don't want to see you rushing head first into something even you don't know the bottom of."

"Garland…" He was speechless.

"Torias, don't think any less of me. I trust your abilities. It's just… ever since the beginning it's always been the two of us. I've always watched your back, as you did mine--"

"It's all right. I'm not insulted." He flashed him a weak smile, "To be honest, I'm scared too. Ciara swore to never speak to me again on the day I left Prontera church to make my own guild. She's kept her word for it for the past five years. Whatever lies in that churchyard frightened her enough to break her vow, swallow her pride, and ask for my help."

There was a brief moment of silence between the two as they returned to their own gloomy thoughts. It's no longer possible to ignore the fear clutching both their hearts. Something terrible is brewing in this place. There is no doubt about that.

The two companions slowed down to a halt as they finally noticed the presence of others. This was the first time hey had seen anybody at all within the past three hours of their journey, which was highly unusual since Glast Heim was a popular training spot. All the more made this situation mystifying.

A dark haired wizard rushed to them in a state of near panic. "Thank god you are here. We just lost another party- 2 crusaders and a wizard. Ciara's talking about sealing this place permanently now."

"Wait a second, what's going on?"

"I'm so sorry, where are my manners? I'm Habrador, the leader of the Order of High Wizards appointed to the Prontera Church. And may I ask who you are?"

"Torias, and my friend, the Lord Knight is Garland."

His eyes widened in surprise. "I've heard a lot about you. You're the one Ciara's been meaning to leave her place to. I'm glad to have the two of you here with us. God knows we need all the help we can get."

"What has been happening here?" Garland repeated the question once more. The entire place is in the state of total chaos. The once popular leveling spot now seemed almost… haunted. The weather definitely added an extra effect to that conclusion.

"Strange monsters have been sighted around here. More than twenty people vanished from the area, last seen entering the churchyard. Nobody we sent in have ever come back… no one except for her. One priestess made it out alive. Poor girl, she's frightened out of her wits. She refuses to talk about that happened in there, and won't even let us tend to her wounds."

"Do you have any idea what could be behind all this?" Torias couldn't help asking.

The high wizard shook his head. "We have no leads at all. Our only source of information is her." He shifted his head in the direction of a light brown haired girl who couldn't possibly be any older than 19. "We sent her in yesterday with a knight, a sniper, and another high priest. She was the only one who came out."

"That's… horrible." The Lord Knight said in disgust. "What could be bad enough to be slaughtering all these people? We have to do something about this, Torias. Don't you agree?"

When he received no reply, Garland turned to his guild leader in reproach. He immediately found himself rolling his eyes, as he noticed the source of his friend's distraction, but neither the High Priest nor the High Wizard took notice of him.

"She's hurt. Haven't any of you noticed the cut on her arm?" Torias said reproachfully, speaking about the sole survivor of the slaughter.

"She won't let us touch her. Trust me, we've tried. Every time we got close enough she would burst out in tears, telling us to leave her alone."

"The cut looks deep. If it's left unattended she will bleed to death."

"If you like to give it a try, be my guest." Habrador shrugged. He was used to this. He's been stationed at the church for the past four years. All priests are like him- refuses to see a wounded without rushing headfirst to attend to them.

Torias made his way toward the priestess. His robe swooshed gracefully with each advancing step. He was a meter away, before she finally took notice. Her eyes were filled with tears, as she spoke. "Please… just leave me be."

"But you're hurt." He gazed worriedly at the wound on her left arm, staining half of her sleeve scarlet, slowly dripping blood down the length of her hand, mingling with the puddle of raining forming on the ground.

"I don't care." She shook her head in desperation. Locks of damp hair plastered to her face, "I don't deserve to be here… I failed them…"

"Don't be like this." He whispered, as he took another step forward, closing the gap between them. "Look," he kneeled down to face her at eye level, "You tried your best, and there was nothing more you could have done. We've already lost enough people today. Please… be reasonable, and let me heal you."

She looked at him with full intensity, her brows slightly narrowed, as if debating whether he deserved her trust. A few moments passed before she looked away, and raised her arm for Torias to examine.

Several feet away, Garland smiled expectantly. Torias would have passed anybody's test. If anybody cared, he did. He didn't wear a mask of fake kindness like the other priests did. He genuinely cared.

"I can see why Ciara favours him so much now." Habrador said approvingly. "He's kind, and trustworthy, but he also has courage. He would make a splendid Head Priest--if he ever decides to accept the position." He added as an after thought.

"I'm his best friend, and even I can't tell what he's about to do next. To be honest, I don't think he even knows what he's going to do until the right moment comes."

"Whenever that might be, I hope he makes the right decision." He turned to Garland and smiled. "I still think it's a miracle how he managed to get through to that girl… she's been sitting at that spot crying since last night and refuses to eat or sleep."

"If anybody could have gotten through to her, it would have been Torias. He has this… atmosphere about him. Whenever you're around him, you can't help but feel… looked after."

"I'm guessing that's what she feels right now."

"Tell me when it hurts, and I'll stop, alright?" He told her softly as he carefully placed the palm of his right hand an inch away from her wound. A warm green glow surrounded his hand. "Normally heals aren't supposed to hurt, but since I don't know what weapon you were wounded by, I'm going to cast some extra spells to make sure." He paused as realization hit. "Err… I'm sure you know all of that already, since you're a priest yourself. I keep forgetting that." He blushed self-consciously. "As you can probably tell, I'm not used to having others priests as patients..."

To his surprise, she smiled. "I'm not used to being the patient either. You have no idea how vulnerable and useless I feel right now. A priestess who can't even heal herself…"

"Don't worry about it. It happens when you use too much of your power in one day. You tire yourself out completely. Just rest for a bit, it'll come back."

"Why are you like this?" she tilted her head to get a better view of his face, "Why are you so kind?"

He looked up at her in surprise, as his features gradually melted into a mellow grin. "I guess you can call that my weakness."

"I think being able to care about others, and do everything in your powers to help unconditionally is your strength. It's certainly an admirable trait."

"Admirable doesn't mean it's practical." He cast a downcast glance. "Caring too much certainly makes you vulnerable to all the bad things happening around you. At one point you start to realize, you can't save the world."

"It doesn't hurt to try." She said encouragingly, giving him a soft smile. "It's people like you that give others hope."

"Now you're just over exaggerating." He told her kindly, as the light green glow around his hand subsided. He took out a bandage from the pouch attached to the right side of his robe, and started to dress her wound. "I stopped the bleeding, and repaired your damaged muscles, but it's going to hurt for a few days still. Just try not to use that arm for a while."

"Thank you…" she said in gratitude, as she lowered her arm back onto her lap. "Don't you want to know what happened in there?"

When she staggered out of that building, the first question anyone had asked her was to interrogate her about the event that had taken place inside. Nobody cared about her well-being as much as they wanted to know the truth and the intensity of the situation. Torias was the first one to ask about her welfare without having a secret agenda behind his actions- only person with a pure intention.

He took a moment to consider her question, before responding. "Yes. I'm not going to lie to you. I do want to know what's been going on around here, and what I'm getting myself into. But I'm not going to pressure you on the subject when I know you're uncomfortable with it."

"You _are_ different from the others." Her eyes beamed with respect for this strange priest. "I'm Vianna by the way."

"Torias." He replied. "Torias of Divine."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Step into Hell**

Torias shifted nervously in his seat, occasionally glancing down at his hands in discomfort. He was currently seated across the table from Ciara, the Head Priestess of the Prontera Church—someone who he hasn't seen or spoken to in 5 years—someone who threatened to excommunicate him on the day he left the church. Thankfully, that never got through—otherwise he wouldn't be a priest at this moment.

To Torias's left sat Vianna, who looked alarmingly pale. Perhaps it was because of her long drenched clothes, or all the blood she had lost. It could even be the mere presence of the Head Priestess. Whatever it might be, she was starting to worry him.

Ciara lowered the parchment Habrador handed to her only moments before, revealing the face of a proud woman in her mid-forties. Her eyes were slightly narrowed, giving off a sense of exasperation. At the same time, they looked sharp like those of an eagle. Her auburn locks were carefully secured into a bun at the back with a Crescent Hairpin. If Torias looked closely enough, he could almost see the strands of grey hair she attempted to conceal.

_Yep_, he noted almost sheepishly. _She's the same as ever. She hasn't changed a bit._

Ciara laid down the parchment on her desk, and turned to Torias. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Five years." He replied matter-of-factly.

"I know I was a little harsh with you when you informed me of your decision about leaving the church then, but you must understand my position. I was training you as my replacement."

"I know where you came from. However," Torias started, "that doesn't mean I don't think of your actions as manipulative."

Ciara sighed before replying, "I thought you might still be bitter about that. I agree I went a little overboard. All I was trying to do was to prevent you from making a terrible mistake. I didn't think you'd still go through with your plan after hearing what I was planning on doing the minute you walk out of the church."

"You mean ex-communicating me? Or kicking me out of the High Order?" he asked sarcastically—his voice was filled with bitterness.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Torias."

"Maybe you're sorry for banishing me from the church because I decided to follow a different path than the one you planned out for me? That might be an appropriate thing to say."

_I thought I already passed this stage… this anger. But in truth, I've been holding onto it for the past couple of years. I tried to forget, but in the end… it only comes back to haunt me. _

Enraged by his boldness, she slammed her hands against the table in anger— sending parchments flying. "You're out of line, Torias! I didn't call you here to talk about this!" She snapped, "If you want to be childish about this and hold onto your grudges, then please leave right now—we have nothing to talk about."

Torias sighed. This was a dangerous situation he got himself into. Should he march out of this tent with his dignity, or sit through Ciara's torture and finish what he had set out to do? Either way, he's bound to lose something—a part of himself.

The High Priest ruffled his hair in frustration.

_If it's possible for servants of God to be evil, she definitely is. _

Torias felt a light brush against his shoulder as he looked up in surprise. He was quick enough to catch a glimpse of Vianna's hand before they were once again neatly folded on her lap.

She flashed him a weak smile and mouthed something that resembled, "Don't be rash."

At that moment, his decision was made. "You're right, Ciara. I'm sorry. This isn't the time or the place for this discussion. There is a matter greater than the resentment between us at hand."

"I'm glad to see you haven't lost your morals completely." The Head Priestess commented approvingly. "I'm rather surprised, considering the people you have recruited into your guild."

Torias clenched his fist in anger. That was a step too far. "They have more morals than you ever will. They believe in equality, and the freedom of choice. What you call _the divine right of god _is no more than your selfish greed to dominate the world. You want the church to have absolute power over the government, so you can put yourself in the place of God. That's not what I would exactly call _moral_."

"I want to do no such thing!" She fumed with anger—her face turning into a dark shade of scarlet. "Don't you even dare speak such words to me! I could charge you with treason and have you ex-communicated at this moment!"

"Will you now?" Torias snapped. "What are you going to do next? Issue an order to banish all priests who dare to help a person in need?"

"Torias… please… stop before you say anything else you are going to regret." Vianna pleaded. "You're tired and overwhelmed by everything that's been happening. Please… just take a moment to consider what you're implying."

He looked into her eyes, and noticed that she was afraid. It took him a split second to realize what he had done. He had just accused the Head Priestess of corruption, and insulted her beliefs. She could easily ex-communicate him, let alone sentence him to death.

_What have I done? _He asked himself, as realization finally dawned. _It's unlike me to lose control like this. But being around her brings back so many memories from the past… ones I would rather forget. _

"Yeah… you're right. It has been a long day. Look, I'm sorry," he turned to the older woman in regret, "I don't know what came over me. I'm willing to take whatever punishment you decide on."

She sighed in defeat. "Things are never going to be right between us again, Torias. I guess it was foolish of me to hope you'll come back to the church one day and take the position you left behind. Now I can see that it's never going to happen. I just want you to know that… I wasn't wrong—at least not about you. No one deserves to be where I am more than you do." She lowered her glasses, and settled them aside, before turning her attention onto Vianna. "Now, I need you to tell me everything that happened in there."

Whatever colour was left drained from the younger woman's face. She clutched tightly onto her robe as her gaze firmly focused on the floor below. "The monsters—they were everywhere—ones that shouldn't even be there. We were out numbered and overpowered. It wasn't a battle—it was a slaughter."

"It is just as I thought. The balance in the world is shifting. Maybe God is finally punishing us for our sinful deeds."

"What type of monsters? Maybe there's a chance we can defeat them and recapture the Churchyard if we have a large enough number," said Torias wishfully, ignoring Ciara's earlier comment.

"… It doesn't matter how many people you have, it's a lost cause. No one is strong enough to defeat Dark Lord, Osiris, Baphomet, Turtle General, and Eddga all together in the same room."

The chestnut haired man froze. _Eddga… Osiris…Baphomet… Turtle General… they aren't supposed to spawn there… _

It is well known throughout Midgard that these monsters are the most powerful. What could have brought them there—or better—_who_ could have brought them there?

Ciara fell to her seat in shock. Her face completely drained of any colour. "…What are we going to do… Oh dear lord, save us…" her voice shook.

Her reaction to this piece of news scared Torias more than the news itself. He had never met anyone more composed than her. For her to break down like this makes him feel… for the lack of a better word… hopeless.

"There has to be something we can do…" Torias mumbled under his breath.

"… What do you propose we do, Torias?" Ciara snapped, "Send another party to their deaths? Who would want volunteer after they find out what's inside?"

"If you have a better idea, I'd like to hear it." He replied icily, "This problem isn't going to go away. It has to be solved before it spreads."

Ciara sighed in defeat, knowing fully that Torias was right. "Where are we going to find a party strong enough to defeat those monsters? If we do find one… how are we going to convince them to lend us their help?"

Torias ruffled his hair in frustration. How on earth did he end up in charge here? To have Head Priestess's respect is one thing, but to be the one organizing this is another. "We need a party leader… someone that's strong, dependable, and resourceful. With that person we need priests… lots of them. From the look of things, a lot of people are going to need heals. Wizards and snipers are a must. They can do damage from afar. Most importantly, we need Lord Knights and Paladins. Someone physically strong enough to endure the monsters' attacks…"

"So basically, every class." Ciara stated a matter-of-factly.

"Basically," he answered dryly, "In order to make it effective, the party has to be small. A big party causes too much chaos, and attracts mobs. I'd say our best bet is taking one boss monster at a time. "

"Six seems to be a good number." The Head priestess suggested.

"Two priests, a Lord Knight, a Paladin, a Sniper and a Wizard." Torias counted. "That would work. Now all we have to do is to make a detailed plan, and find the right recruits."

"I'll go."

Torias froze. That voice was unmistakably Vianna's. He couldn't possibly let her go through that again. She almost died the first time. To send her back in there would be pushing her luck.

"I refuse." He told her sternly. "You're not nearly well enough to be—"

"But I'm the only one who knows where the monsters are and the full situation."

At that moment, Torias knew he had lost.

"If I'm sending you back in there, I'm leading the party myself."

The chestnut-haired man would wonder for days as to why he had said this and what drove him to make this decision.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Chaos Spreads**

A week passed since the meeting. Preparations were well underway, yet Torias couldn't help but feel a nagging doubt in the back of his head. Was he really doing the right thing? Was he even competent enough to lead the party against a mob of boss monsters? He didn't know—he didn't want to know. He convinced himself that some things are better left unthought-of.

His lord knight companion grinned as he found the high priest deep in thought. He silently made his way over and tapped Torias on the back, making him jump in response.

"Garland! Would you stop doing that?" The chestnut-haired man barked. "This isn't a great place to be scaring people."

His grin broadened. "That's what makes this so fun."

Torias shook his head in exasperation. _What am I going to do with him…? _"You're not taking this situation serious enough! Dozens of people have already been killed in there."

"I am taking this seriously," Garland responded, "I'm just not letting the pressure get to me."

Torias was silent for a second before finally asking the question that had troubled him greatly. "Are you sure you want to be in the party? Without a doubt, it's more dangerous than anything else we've done previously. I don't want to drag you into something you don't want to be apart of—"

"Torias," the lord knight interrupted, "if I didn't want to, I wouldn't have volunteered. In the past, you have never forced me to do anything I didn't want to, nor will you ever, I don't think."

The high priest smiled at his trustful companion. "Sometimes I wish I was as certain as you. Even though I said I would lead the party… I can't help but wonder whether I'm capable enough. I'm only a priest after all. The leader role should be left to someone physically strong—"

"Those are only excuses, Torias." said Garland sharply, "You and I both know you're a great leader and a very talented priest. I can easily say you rank first in Midgard. So tell me, what's really been on your mind?"

His mouth fell open in shock. How could he see through him like this?

"I…" He trailed off. How could he tell him he didn't know his reasons for doing this? He volunteered to lead the party as if on reflex; he didn't even have the chance to give it a second thought. Now… he's genuinely regretting it.

"Don't think so hard about it." The lord knight rested a hand on his back reassuringly. "I'm sure you'll figure it out soon enough. When that happens, if you need someone to talk to, you know where I'll be."

Torias looked to his companion in gratitude. This is what he loved about him. He knew where to draw the line.

"I really think you are the perfect party leader. You're levelheaded, fair, and experienced. I trust you with my life." Garland flashed him a smile.

The high priest could feel a grin forming on his lips. "Thank you."

"Now back to the matter at hand," the red-haired man raised his head to look at the aforementioned building. "Who is coming with us?"

"The high priestess, Vianna, will be our guide." Torias started, attempting to remember the names off the top of his head, "Mythel, the guild leader of Stolen Grace agreed to aid us in our efforts. He and Radina will be members of our party. Habrador, the leader of the Order of High Wizards will be joining us as well. Counting the two of us, it makes six."

Garland snorted. "It seems the elite guilds aren't doing anything to help."

"There's nothing we can do about it," said Torias weakly, "they have their priorities and we have ours."

"So what day are we setting out?"

"When Vianna's wounds recover." Torias told him shortly. "As the party leader I refuse to start the journey until she's well again. I don't want her to drag us behind once we're in there."

"Are you sure that's your only reason?" The lord knight teased, sending him a small wink.

Torias sighed in exasperation. "That's not it, Garland!"

"Well, you sure have a hard time convincing me with words alone. Why don't you back it up with actions?"

"Well, what do you want me to do?" The high priest rolled his eyes.

"Set off tomorrow at dawn."

"Wha—what?" His eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Once the journey starts, if she doesn't feel well enough, my peco can carry her. How does that sound?"

"It sounds crazy," Torias said sourly. "What if her wounds get infected? What do you plan on doing then?"

"Well, the two of you are priests, aren't you?" said Garland thoughtfully, "If it gets infected, cure it."

"... Do you have any idea how much it hurts for the patient? Unlike Blessing, Kyrie Eleison, or Increase AGI, cure is…painful to be cast on. That's why in most cases, when the patients are sick, they rather drink holy water instead…"

"Torias, the point I'm trying to get across is that you care more about her welfare than the situation at hand. If you're going to lead this party, start being tough. Instead of considering one person's situation, consider the group as a whole."

Torias knew he was right. He always put being a priest ahead of being a leader. "Fine, we set out tomorrow at dawn. Tell the others."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Darkness**

The air was awfully chilly for an autumn morning. The six companions stood outside the closed gate, waiting for the Head Priestess's permission to enter. Two fierce lord knights stood outside, guarding the entrance from unwanted intruders. A number of foolish parties have already tried to sneak past the two in their search for an adventure that could bragged about for the rest of their lives. Yet none of them had even considered the possibility of it turning into something more than they had bargained for. So yes, Torias believed it was wise of Ciara to station the two lord knights here.

Garland exchanged friendly greetings with them, as they bid him the best of luck for the journey he had before him. He broke into a sheepish grin, and told him if he wanted luck, he wouldn't have signed up for this.

Torias couldn't help but smile at his friend's reply. It was typical of him to say something like this at a crucial moment. Garland never failed to stand out.

"If worst comes to worst, you can always have my rosary." Vianna suggested comically. Her face was full of amusement as she tugged on the chain around her neck, revealing the top part of the cross.

"In the _likely _situation that we do come across such a desperate time, then I bid you, my dear lady to hold onto it. I think I would rather you to have the luck than myself." Such a flattering line would have turned an ordinary lady into a dark shade of scarlet; however in this case, all it did was broaden the high priestess's smile.

"You're clever with you words. I see you have courted many ladies in the past, my dear lord knight." She replied in a similar tone to the one he had previously used, which was light and full of amusement. "But let me assure you, I won't be as easy as many of your previous conquests."

"Oh, is that so?" Garland challenged.

Torias buried his face in his outstretched palm in exasperation. This happened too often for comfort. Garland was a great knight. He could easily hold his ground in battle. In addition to that he was also handsome and courageous. To top it all off, he had a greatly personality to match everything. The ladies absolutely_ adored _him.

Oblivious to Torias's annoyance, Garland continued. "Give me two weeks. I guarantee you'll be madly in love with me by then."

The brown haired priestess laughed good-humouredly. "I think I know myself well enough to say that's very unlikely to happen."

"How can you be so sure?" The lord knight pressed further, arching a brow in question, "unless you already have someone else in mind…" He hinted.

Vianna's eyes flashed in alarm for a split second before returning to their natural state. To her relief, only the sharp-eyed sniper noticed. "What makes you say that?" She jested in a sweet voice, attempting to cover up her slip.

"No lady could speak with such confidence to a handsome man such as myself, unless her heart is already taken." Even Garland couldn't say such a cheesy line with a straight face. He cracked a broad grin.

Mythel, who had been quiet all this time, broke into fits of laughter. "Garland, you never fail to amaze me. To say something like that at a time like this… I swear you should have been a bard instead."

Garland was offended by Mythel's remark. "A bard! That's absurd! What kind of a man in their healthy state of mind can tell a chivalrous man like me to become a bard!"

"I agree with Garland," said Radina, the beautiful sniper. Her sleek and proud falcon was firmly perched on her left shoulder. At the sound of its owner's voice, it turned its head left and right in surprise. "For one thing, Garland would make a terrible bard. Have you ever seen him shoot an arrow?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Trust me, you don't want to. It's the most pitiful sight I have ever seen."

"Oh, come on, it wasn't _that _bad. I only broke… two… of your bows in the process." The lord knight lightly nudged the sniper, who chuckled in return.

Now Torias understood what Garland and Vianna were trying to do—they were lightening the mood. The intense atmosphere was now replaced with one of absolute silliness. Not only had they raised their own spirits, but those of the others as well.

"Help me out here, Habrador." He turned to the high wizard for support. "They're all picking on me."

The brown haired man turned to his companion and laughed. "I'm going to agree with Mythel on this one. In fact, I don't think it's too late to consider changing your class. I'm certain with a little time, even you can learn to shoot an arrow."

"This is so unfair!" Garland whined. "You're all against me! Torias… I don't suppose you're going to say anything positive on my behalf."

"You guessed right." The lord knight's head dropped comically in disappointment. Torias gave his friend a sympathetic pat on the back as they all broke into fits of laughter.

The air inside the Churchyard was thick and heavy, almost to the point of suffocation. With each advancing step, they felt like they were marching closer to death. To his front, he saw Vianna shiver slightly as she wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. Torias felt guilty for dragging her into this again. It must have been a horrible experience the first time. To watch her party members ripped into pieces as she barely escaped with her own life. To agree to come back here must have taken her a great amount of courage and determination.

Garland led the party forward. Instead of bringing his pecopeco like he originally planned on doing, he decided it was more convenient to travel on foot, since the Churchyard was narrow in some areas. The lord knight stopped moving as he turned back to address Vianna in a hushed voice.

"Where did you say the monsters were again?"

The light brown haired girl paused momentarily in an attempt to recall something she would rather forget. She gently took the map from Garland's hand and pointed to the southeast corner of the fragile paper. "This is where I last saw Osiris and Baphomet." She swallowed nervously. "We found Dark Lord, here." She pointed to the center. "I accidentally stumbled across Turtle General and Eddga when I was trying to teleport out. I was hurt pretty badly then, and I was panicking. I apologize for not being able to recall the exact spots of our encounter. Also, it's important for you to know that I haven't had the chance to explore the whole map. There might be more boss monsters here than I previously mentioned."

At the sound of Vianna's words, their hearts grew even heavier. The situation just went from bad to worse.

"We also have to take into account that they could have moved since the last time Vianna was in here." Torias added. He knew they didn't need any more bad news, but this had to be said. "We're pretty far into the churchyard already. We could meet any one of them at any moment now. We should start advancing from here with care."

Everybody nodded their heads in agreement. "What's the battle plan, Torias?" Garland inquired, giving his friend and guild leader a sideway glance.

"I've had a lot of time to think about this. First off, when we encounter a boss monster, we need to get it by itself. It's suicide to take on more than one of them at a time. I think the best idea would be to have Mythel and Garland distract the monster, while Habrador and Radina do damage from a distance. Make sure your attacks are the correct elements. You also need to keep in mind that the minions need to be taken care of first. During that time, Vianna and I will do our best to keep all of you healed and buffed. In any case, make sure to protect our wizard so he can finish casting his spells."

All of them knew the importance of having a wizard on the team. They could freeze the enemy do mass damage in a matter of seconds. "I suggest you quagmire and storm gust the first chance you get. It'll make Mythel's and Garland's job a lot easier."

Habrador nodded in response. "When I cast storm gust, make sure you get out of the way as quickly as you can. I don't want to freeze any of you by accident."

"Don't worry, I'm quick on my feet," Garland reassured.

The six companions marched forward—for how long, Torias didn't know. But he assumed at least 7 hours had passed since they had entered this cursed place. All of them were quickly growing weary of walking. More than that, they were starting to feel the unmistakable sensation of hunger.

"I think we should call it a day. There's no point in traveling on if we're not in the shape to be fighting. The most important thing we can do at the moment is to take care of ourselves." Torias informed the others as he quickly searched through their supply bags. "We don't have a lot of food on us since bringing too much would be a burden to carry. For the sake of thinking ahead, we need to eat sparingly."

"Can we afford to start a fire?" Radina inquired, her voice full of hope. This place was unpleasantly cold. It would be nice to be warm for a change, that's for sure.

The high priest looked to his companions for an answer. Mythel and Garland seemed to be fine, which was not very surprising since they both had thick layers of armor. Vianna, Radina, and Habrador on the other hand seemed to be in need of a little warming up. Torias had to admit; the thought of having a fire was awfully nice. "I guess we can risk it. Otherwise, some of us would freeze to death overnight."

With his words, everybody quickly got to work. Garland and Radina went to gather firewood as Torias sorted the rations.

"What's on the menu tonight, Torias?" the paladin asked casually as he dropped his pack onto the floor and took a seat nearby.

"Oh, nothing fancy. We have the choice of either roasting meat, or eating stale bread with honey…" Torias wasn't picky about food, but even to him, this didn't seem very appetizing.

"I think… I'll take the meat." Mythel responded hesitantly. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I was expecting. But I should've known, right?"

"Not necessarily." Vianna answered from her spot on the floor. She had her legs neatly folded under her body as she leaned against the wall for support. If it was possible for someone to look graceful while sitting on dust-covered cement, she definitely was. "Not many people would have thought about what they're going to eat if they're planning on fight for their lives against a mob of boss monsters."

"Well said," the high wizard nodded in agreement. "It never occurred to me either that we would be having stale bread every meal until Torias mentioned it a moment ago."

The high priest sighed. "Even I didn't see this coming. One of Ciara's priests packed our bags for us. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have enjoyed my last meal a lot more than I actually did."

"Oh, come on, Torias. You're supposed to be cheering us up, not dragging down our spirits even more!" Vianna nudged him playfully. "You're such a spoil sport."

The brown haired man laughed at that. "You sound exactly like Garland. He used to say that a lot back in our first class days."

"What about me?" The lord knight raised a brow in question. Nobody had noticed his return. The armor-clad man dropped an armful of firewood on the ground.

"Torias was just telling me how much we have in common." Vianna teased.

"Well, well, well. I never thought Torias would be playing matchmaker." Garland rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Note to self: today just might be the end of the world."

"… That… might not be such a great thing to say, Gar." Mythel told him wearily. "For all we know, you could have just jinxed us."

"You can't possibly believe that stuff," said the lord knight in surprise. "I would have expected that of Torias… or even Radina, but… you?"

The paladin shrugged. "It never hurts to be cautious."

"Let's save this discussion for later, shall we?" Torias cut in. Both Radina and Garland had returned. A large pile of firewood sat on the ground between them. "Habrador, do you mind lighting the fire for us? I think a small fireball would do."

With a little effort, the high wizard got up from his comfortable spot on the floor—his right hand firmly clutching the length of his staff. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he chanted some spells under his breath. A ball of fire appeared overhead and landed on the pile of wood. The small ember spread until it was the size of a campfire. As if on response, everybody drew in closer. Radina held her hands out as the warmth of the fire slowly returned feelings to her numb fingers.

Garland laughed as he pierced through the meat with the stick he held in his other hand. He passed it to Torias to roast over the fire while he worked on another. Soon everybody had a small branch in their hands, which they rotated occasionally to make sure the meat was cooked evenly throughout.

"I miss the sun…" said Radina out of the blue.

"I miss my bed," said the laughing priestess.

"And probably the one who shares it." Garland gave her a wink. In response, Vianna hit him playfully on the arm. "You know that's true!" he teased.

But Garland didn't know how true his words really were.

The lustrous fire burned until only a small ember was left, barely kept going by the few remaining branches nearby. The light brown haired girl drew her blanket tighter around her slim frame, as she gazed absentmindedly into the warm glow, her mind clearly elsewhere. Everybody had gone to sleep hours before, but the high priestess remained awake. She had volunteered to stand guard for the first half of the night. Nobody would have suspected her of having an ulterior motive. After all, who could suspect a beautiful and kind priestess of being nothing but pure hearted? Vianna touched the thinner chain around her neck and felt for the metallic loop at its end. The silver ring was long worn out and scratches were evident on its surface, yet it held more sentiment to her than the rare ancient rosary around her neck. They were both presents from Kaden, but the ring resembled more of the happier times they had shared in the past.

Her face was troubled as her hold on the chain grew tighter. She had to do this. This was for him. Yet…even with that in mind, she couldn't shake off the nagging doubt in the back of her head. She glanced at the sleeping figures around her. It was a huge price to pay for one measly castle…

Just then she heard the sound of a pebble landing on the cement floor. She knew it was time. She gently uncurled herself from the blanket, as she made her way toward the source of the sound. The tall figure of an assassin cross stood there, waiting. "Well?" He raised a brow in question. "Are we going according to plan?"

She didn't know how to answer. It was too late to go back. Everything was already in motion. "Yeah, we should be there by noon tomorrow. Dopple and Drake could take care of them."

He smiled, as he gave her a small peck on the cheek. "Just make sure you get out of there in time. If anything goes wrong, cast safety wall on yourself. When I see the pink light, I'll come out to the open."

Two other figures stood a distance away, waiting for their guild leader's return. They didn't dare invading the assassin cross's and the high priestess's privacy. To put it bluntly, the guild leader of Forsaken wasn't known for his kindness or patience.

The stalker had his eyes firmly fixed on the delicate features of the brown haired girl. Even within the guild, only few had seen her face without the kitsune mask, which made her the perfect candidate for this plan. Hell, this plan must be important if Kaden was willing to risk sending Chidori, the Forsaken Angel.


	5. Chapter 5

No one seemed to have noticed Vianna's slip the night before. Everything was going according to Kaden's plan. For months the assassin cross had wanted the Geffen castle that Divine held— a beautiful addition to his elaborate collection of castles. But frustratingly enough for Kaden, Divine's defenses were difficult to penetrate, and Kaden was unwilling to sacrifice their defensive powers at their pre-existing castles for the sake of capturing this one. Nothing would look worse for Kaden than to have his own castles snatched away from right under his nose.

So this was Kaden's foolproof plan. After Torias and Garland were out of the picture, Divine's Geffen castle would be as good as theirs. Having Mythel in the party wasn't so bad for Kaden either. Since Stolen Grace's Payon castle would be another fine addition to his collection. The best part of this plan was when the slaughter was over; no one would suspect Kaden or his guild to have had anything to do with this at all. This was almost too easy. All Kaden had to do was put the bait out, and summon the monsters.

Chidori had played her role perfectly—no one suspected a thing. He released her from the guild a month previously, and used his connections inside the church to alter her records. The system was weak, despite Ciara's attempts to strengthen control over the flow of High Priests and High Priestesses in Midgard. All Kaden had to do was tip the right people, and everything fell into place.

Perhaps the most difficult part of the plan was keeping Chidori out of harm's way without Kaden exposing himself. Kaden knew if something had happened to Chidori, he would become the laughing stock of the guild. After all, what would that say about his abilities if he couldn't even protect his woman?

The two of them have had their good days and they've had bad ones. But somewhere along the line, their relationship had taken the backburner as they both chased after their own ambitions. Some times the two agreed, and some times they didn't. Most of the time, they went along with what the other wanted for the sake of avoiding friction. This was perhaps one of those times—on Chidori's part at least.

Kaden knew she didn't want the castle. _This wasn't worth it. _She seemed to tell him, but he didn't listen. Of course he wouldn't listen. Why should he? He knew best when it came to battle strategies and guild matters. What would she know? This was out of her field of expertise. She didn't see him questioning her when it came to how she spent her money or how much her newest accessory cost.

Yes, their relationship had changed over the course of time. The two of them no longer have the youthful ideals and innocence that they carried when they first met. Too much had happened between them, too much had been lost. Love can't conquer all, and neither can loyalty—at least that's what Kaden now believed. His own exploits with other women further solidified this point. Love wasn't enough to keep him by Chidori's side, but her power, her trust, and her usefulness to him prevented him from straying too far.

With the plan in motion, all Kaden had to do now was wait.

* * *

Chidori knew the difference between right and wrong, but sometimes the line blurred into shades of grey, tainted by the complexity of both hues.

She loved Kaden. There was no doubt about it. But how far was she willing to go for his selfish ambitions? Yes, she was his accomplice, his partner in crime, but how far was too far?

* * *

The night passed by quickly. When morning came, everyone felt as if they haven't slept at all.

The atmosphere was tense as the party prepared for departure for the day's journey. Torias could almost feel himself trembling in anticipation for what awaited them on the other side. It wasn't his own safety that worried him, but the safety of his friends and teammates. As the leader, it was his responsibility to ensure that everyone left the place unscathed after the battle, but also being priest meant that he carried twice the burden.

Garland must have known his train of thoughts, as he flashed a smile in his direction. It seemed to have said, 'you'll do fine.' Torias instantly felt calmer. Garland always had that aura about him. He could always lighten the mood with the flash of a smile.

Torias knew there was no room for mistake. One wrong step and it could mean death for all of them, and most importantly the life of his best friend was in his hands. He wasn't going to fail Garland if it was the last thing he did.

"Let's talk strategy," Torias announced at last, as he spread open the map between them. "We are currently here, he pointed to the Western end of the map. I think we should move northward and go in a clockwise direction. This way we can cover the entire map systematically without splitting up our team. Garland and Mythel should lead the way and take on any monsters that we encounter. Vianna and I will follow closely behind to support them. Habrador should follow us with Radina in the back to kill any monsters that attack from behind."

Everyone nodded in agreement, as Torias rolled up the map and stored it in his pack.

"You have more than enough on your mind. I'll do the buffs," The high priestess announced as she casted Blessing, Agility Up, and Assumptio on the team, before proceeding to Magnificant.

Torias gave her a weak smile in gratitude. Having her on the team was definitely reassuring.

When everybody else was out of the earshot, Vianna finally approached the High Priest. "Be careful, Torias. This place is more dangerous than you can ever imagine. When you have any doubt, cast safety wall and sanctuary the team."

Torias had already known this place was dangerous, but he had a nagging feeling that Vianna's words carried more significance than he could comprehend. Yet he couldn't figure out the reason why. She didn't tell him anything that he didn't already know, but the worried look on her face had perhaps said it all.

"Look," she added hurriedly, "just take care of yourself and the team. Teleport out if the situation goes out of hand. I can make sure everyone else escapes, but watch after yourself, Torias."

The high priest opened his mouth before closing it again. He was speechless. What was she saying?


End file.
